She would turn 5 in april.
But it's time for her to go... i'm waiting for the vet clinic to open to schedule an euthanasia time today.
She's ''just a rat'' but I don't want to do this!
I got tears in my eyes as I'm writing this, and my mind is telling me, she's not doing that bad!
But it would be selfish to let her suffer.

You survived a pneumonia and abscesses as big as my fingertips, but myco is taking you away. I love you.

Almost 5?! Now THAT is a great rattie life. You obviously did right by her. Each and every rattie that has passed I cried for like it was a lifelong family member . . . because they were. Rat or not, it's still your furry family member. Just remember not to listen to anyone who says it's just a rat.

When I put one of my rats down, prior to working at vet clinics, one of the women behind the desk handed me a tissue and said "You've got to love somoene who gets this upste over a rat." It took all my strength not to leap over the counter and punch her in the face.

Don't ever let anyone downplay your feelings for your rats. They are amazing creatures and are so loving that you get attached the moment your eyes lock. Your Scully was lucky to have you, and I'm sure you know you were lucky to have her. Myco takes the best of them

I am so sorry.

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another." -Anatole France

The vet was an ass... The exotics one wasn't there, and I had to argue with him to give Scully a sedative before the barbiturics shot. I KNOW this shot in the belly hurts, I've had it done without sedatives when I didn't know better and I'm not doing it again.

How can you argue with somebody who's going to put it's pet to sleep?

And I think she wasn't even fully sedated when he did it, unless he hit a nerve or something, because she twitched and peed when he gave her the second shot.

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You're right pL, they don't stay around long enough. And to think I probably have 7 other ones to look forward too isn't making me happy.
I'll probably adopt another one now that I have a spot in my girl cage anyway...

Sorry to get technical here, but when I took my last rat to be euthed, I begged them to anesthetize her the way they would for surgery - I believe it's by putting them under a gas mask, only with halothane gas which would kill an animal that size. But the vet seemed to think that would be more stressful then then the belly stick.

I don't know what's best!

She's ''just a rat''

Not just a rat but a much loved pet and companion. We don't base our love of pets (or other friends) on how big they are.

Speaking techicalities, rats dislike breathing gas (having their face in a gas mask and being held for some time) more than being poked (according to my rat guide...)
The sub-q sedative was the same that she would have got if she had been under, it's just the vet should have waited LONGER before doing the second injection.

I'm all poofy from crying, at least I can try burying her at my inlaws this weekend. I took a long walk with Jessie, makes me focus on the living instead...

I'll be fine, thanks for the support, it is great to have people understand...